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Fact or Fiction: Predictions for first sack, TD, takeaway of 2024

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The Giants.com crew is presented with four statements and must decide whether they are Fact or Fiction.

Brian Burns will record the Giants' first sack of the season.

John Schmeelk: Fiction - I am going to go with Dexter Lawrence. The Vikings have two strong offensive tackles in Christian Darrisaw and Brian O'Neill that should provide a strong challenge for Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux. We have seen how Dexter Lawrence can dominate small centers like Minnesota's Garrett Bradbury. Their guards are also vulnerable to pass rush from the inside so I think Dexter gets home early in the game before he starts seeing constant double teams.

Dan Salomone: Fiction – Kayvon Thibodeaux knows this is a big year for him as he tries to get to the level of Brian Burns and Dexter Lawrence, who have multiple Pro Bowls under their belts. The front four will be the engine of the defense, if not the entire team, in 2024.

Matt Citak: Fact – When the Giants and Vikings faced off twice during the 2022 season (Week 17 and the Wild Card Game), Dexter Lawrence registered seven pressures in EACH contest, the latter of which he was matched up against current Vikings center Garrett Bradbury. Due to this dominance, I wouldn't be surprised to see Lawrence double-teamed the most of any Giants pass rusher this Sunday, leaving Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux in more one-on-one situations. Burns was the team's big offseason acquisition, and I believe he will get his Giants career started with a big splash play in his first game. Mark him down for the first sack of the season.

Malik Nabers will score the Giants' first touchdown of the season.

John Schmeelk: Fact - I think Malik Nabers will lead the Giants in touchdowns this season so there's no reason to think he won't be the first one to find the end zone. The Vikings' secondary has some question marks and ran cover-0 more than every other team in the league last season. If the Giants see Nabers man-to-man without help, they will try to get him the ball. Even if it isn't a deep pass over the top, he has the strength and explosiveness to break a tackle after a short completion and run for a big gain after the catch.

Dan Salomone: Fact – And he wants the whole stadium to cheer "Leeeeeeeeeeek" afterwards.

Matt Citak: Fiction – Malik Nabers would be my best guess for the Giant to make the first jaw-dropping play of the season (and maybe the second and third), as we saw him do this a couple of times against the Texans in the preseason. But for the team's first touchdown, I'm going with a different player making his Giants debut this Sunday – Devin Singletary. The veteran has proven to be Mr. Reliable over his NFL career. When the Giants get close to the goal line, they're going to lean on Singletary to punch it into the end zone for the first score of the year.

View photos from practice at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center as the Giants embark on their 100th season.

Jason Pinnock will snatch the Giants' first takeaway of the season.

John Schmeelk: Fiction - Sam Darnold has been known to throw balls into traffic in the middle of the field. It could be Pinnock grabbing the interception, but I think it will be Bobby Okereke anticipating a Darnold pass and stepping in front of a receiver for an interception. If the Giants can force the Vikings into a deficit and remove their play action game, they should have the opportunity for takeaways.

Dan Salomone: Fact – Fellow safety Dane Belton, who has been limited this week with a back injury, would be a good choice because he has four interceptions and three fumble recoveries in just 685 defensive snaps in his career (not including the fumble recovery on the opening kickoff of his NFL debut). Pinnock, meanwhile, proved to be a game-changer in his first season as a full-time starter, recording two interceptions (one of which he returned 102 yards for a touchdown) and two forced fumbles.

Matt Citak: Fiction – I believe the Giants' first takeaway of the season will come from the safety position, but not Jason Pinnock. Instead, I think it will be the rookie making his NFL debut. Tyler Nubin set a program record with 13 interceptions at Minnesota, including five in his final season there. Analysts called Nubin a ballhawk heading into the draft, and we saw him sniff out the ball on numerous occasions during training camp. We don't know yet how the safety playing time is going to be split up, but I expect both Nubin and Dane Belton to join Pinnock on the field a good amount. This will lead to Nubin notching his first career interception and the team's first turnover of the year.

The Vikings' offense is a bigger challenge than their defense for the Giants.

John Schmeelk: Fact - Justin Jefferson is a game-changing player. There is a reason he is the highest paid non-quarterback in the NFL. He is an excellent route runner, can get the ball in coverage, and is tough enough to take big hits over the middle yet still come up with the catch. The Giants are going to have to figure out how to cover him without sacrificing their ability to slowdown their other playmakers like Jordan Addison and Aaron Jones.

Dan Salomone: Fiction – The Vikings gave up just 53 plays of 20 yards last year, tied for the fourth-fewest in the NFL. That has been the major emphasis for the Giants' offense, which has struggled to generate explosive plays. Let's see how this matchup plays out on Sunday.

Matt Citak: Fiction – Despite the presence of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Aaron Jones on the offense, I have to go with the Vikings' defense being the bigger challenge for the Giants. Brian Flores was brought in as the defensive coordinator last year, which resulted in a much more aggressive Vikings defense. Flores blitzed early and often and did a great job of disguising the blitzes. This matchup will serve as a tough challenge for the Giants' new-look offensive line, whose communication will certainly be put to the test. While Jefferson might offer the biggest individual challenge for the Giants, their defense as a whole could cause more trouble for the Giants than the Vikings' offense.

View rare photos from the all-time series between the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings

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All names revealed in 'Top 100' countdown

In celebration of the Giants' 100th season, an independent committee of award-winning journalists, NFL and Pro Football Hall of Fame executives, and superfans ranked the Giants' Top 100 Players. Presented by Bud Light.

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